As the June 3 local elections approach, candidates from Gangwon, Busan, and Ulsan are positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as a key element of their regional growth strategies. The common theme among them is to expand the AI industry, which has been concentrated in the capital region, into local areas and to create new growth engines by integrating AI with regional industries.
In particular, Gangwon is focusing on securing AI infrastructure, Busan aims to establish itself as an AI hub, and Ulsan is prioritizing the transformation of its manufacturing sector through AI, leading to a competitive landscape of AI pledges tailored to each region's industrial structure.
The race for the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province governor has highlighted the importance of attracting the National AI Computing Center. Woo Sang-ho, the Democratic Party's candidate for governor, has made this a central promise of his campaign.
Woo stated, "This is the largest investment project in Gangwon's history, estimated to be worth between 20 trillion and 70 trillion won. We will secure both advanced companies and youth jobs based on AI infrastructure." He has also urged large corporations to prioritize hiring local talent in connection with policies aimed at fostering the AI industry.
Kim Jin-tae, the People Power Party's candidate for Gangwon governor, is advocating for a strategy focused on developing future industries through the establishment of a semiconductor cluster and attracting advanced companies. His plan includes training semiconductor personnel and building test beds to expand Gangwon's advanced industrial ecosystem.
In Busan, the competition to become an AI hub is intensifying. Jeon Jae-soo, the Democratic Party's candidate for Busan mayor, has proposed creating a customized AI belt by dividing the city into three areas: South, East, and West Busan. He envisions developing South Busan, home to the Busan New Port's 7th terminal, into a center for marine and logistics AI, while East Busan will leverage existing content infrastructure, such as the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), to create a media AI special zone.
This strategy aims to focus on nurturing AI-based content industries, including film, drama, and gaming. In West Busan, centered around Saha District, plans are in place to establish an 'AI Industry Operations Center' to enhance productivity and equipment utilization in aging manufacturing plants through AI.
Park Hyung-jun, the People Power Party's candidate for Busan mayor, emphasizes the importance of data for Busan's tailored AI initiatives. He plans to organize data from Busan's six key industries—port, marine, shipbuilding, manufacturing, finance, and civilian life—for AI learning and inference, and to establish a 'Busan AI Hub' that will provide over 200 types of public data (APIs) for free. He aims to create 50,000 related jobs by 2035.
In Ulsan, the focus is on the transformation of the manufacturing sector through AI. Kim Sang-wook, the Democratic Party's candidate for Ulsan mayor, has proposed integrating AI into Ulsan's key industries, including shipbuilding, automotive, and petrochemicals, to enhance industrial competitiveness. His main pledges include expanding smart factories using data from manufacturing sites and creating an industrial AI ecosystem.
Kim Doo-gyeom, the People Power Party's candidate for Ulsan mayor, has made the 'AI Capital Ulsan' strategy a key promise. He plans to promote the AI transformation of Ulsan's core manufacturing industries, including shipbuilding, automotive, and petrochemicals, based on the expansion of data centers by SK and Amazon Web Services (AWS). His strategy also includes maximizing local industrial competitiveness through the expansion of smart manufacturing and the utilization of industrial data.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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